Exhibit 99.1

                    Gastar Exploration Announces Successful
                 Williams #1 Middle Bossier Well and Update on
                             Completion Activities

     HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2007--Gastar Exploration Ltd. (AMEX:GST)
and (TSX:YGA) is pleased to announce that it has drilled the Williams #1 well
located in Leon County, Texas to a total depth of 19,650 feet. Based on
preliminary analysis of electric logs and gas shows during drilling, the well
encountered approximately 32 net feet of apparent pay in three middle Bossier
sands. Gastar is in the process of installing a 5-inch string of casing to
17,200 feet and will then begin initial completion and testing of the middle
Bossier pay zones. The completion activities are expected to take approximately
30 days and, if successful, initial production is expected by mid-February 2007.
Gastar has a 67% after casing point ("ACP") working interest with Chesapeake
Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) owning the remaining 33% ACP working interest.

     Gastar is also continuing completion operations on the Wildman Trust #2 and
John Parker #2 wells. The Wildman Trust #2 well is expected to be fracture
stimulated in the first of three middle Bossier zones within the next three
weeks. The John Parker #2 well is scheduled to be fracture stimulated in late
January in an additional middle Bossier zone after a successful frac and
production test in a middle Bossier formation that stabilized at a gross rate of
approximately 3 MMcfd.

     Gastar is currently drilling the Lone Oak Ranch #2 well (the "LOR #2") at
approximately 12,200 feet. The LOR #2 well will target the Knowles Limestone,
the upper Bossier and the middle Bossier formations. Gastar is also drilling the
Wagner #1 well, a middle Bossier test, at approximately 8,800 feet. Gastar
expects to spud the Donelson #3 well to test the Pettet and lower Bossier
formations within the next two weeks.

     Commenting on the announcement, J. Russell Porter, Gastar's Chief Executive
Officer, stated, "The Williams #1 appears to be an average middle Bossier well
that fits Gastar's economic model. Assuming the successful completion of the
Williams #1 well, along with the Wildman Trust #2 and John Parker #2 wells,
Gastar expects to significantly increase its production from the deep Bossier
play during the first quarter of 2007."

     Gastar Exploration Ltd. is an exploration and production company focused on
finding and developing natural gas assets in North America and Australia. The
Company pursues a balanced strategy combining select higher risk, deep natural
gas exploration prospects with lower risk coal bed methane (CBM) development.
The Company owns and controls exploration and development acreage in the Deep
Bossier gas play of East Texas. Gastar's CBM activities are conducted within the
Powder River Basin of Wyoming and upon the approximate 3.0 million gross acres
controlled by Gastar and its joint development partners in Australia's Gunnedah
Basin (PEL 238) and Gippsland Basin (EL 4416) located in New South Wales and
Victoria, respectively.

     Safe Harbor Statement and Disclaimer:

     This Press Release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Act of 1934. A statement identified by the words "expects", "projects", "plans",
and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking
statements. Although Gastar believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be
materially different from those suggested or described in this press release.
These include risks inherent in the drilling of natural gas and oil wells,
including risks of fire, explosion, blowout, pipe failure, casing collapse,
unusual or unexpected formation pressures, environmental hazards, and other
operating and production risks inherent in natural gas and oil drilling and
production activities, which may temporarily or permanently reduce production or
cause initial production or test results to not be indicative of future well
performance or delay the timing of sales or completion of drilling operations;
risks with respect to oil and natural gas prices, a material decline in which
could cause the Company to delay or suspend planned drilling operations or
reduce production levels; and risks relating to the availability of capital to
fund drilling operations that can be adversely affected by adverse drilling
results, production declines and declines in natural gas and oil prices and
other risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as
filed on March 31, 2006 with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission at www.sec.gov and on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and
Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

     The American Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange have not reviewed
and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.


     CONTACT: Gastar Exploration, Ltd., Houston
              J. Russell Porter, 713-739-1800
              Fax: 713-739-0458
              rporter@gastar.com
              www.gastar.com